Integrated data communication system

ABSTRACT

An integrated communication system for the transception of facsimile data or binary file data is described. The system comprises a conventional facsimile machine having the components of a scanner, sampling device, transmission memory, compression device and modem connected to a telephone line of a public switched telephone network all being for the transmission of facsimile data and decompression device, reception memory, recording memory and recording device all being for the reception of facsimile data. These components are under the control of the operations microprocessor and user interface. The binary file data transfer components are the Tx/Rx memory, floppy disk controller and floppy disk drive, again, all under the control of the operations microprocessor. The binary file transfer is achieved either by control codes inserted in the Non Standard Filed (NSF) of a facsimile transmission conducted under the CCITT Recommendation T.30, or the proposed amendments to the DIS/DTC/DCS signals of the same T.30 Recommendation as are under consideration.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an integrated data communication system, andrelates in particular to apparatus permitting binary file transfer, andas an option, although not exclusively, binary file transfer inconjunction with facsimile transception.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Facsimile machines provide for speedy document transfer betweenlocations, however they have a number of drawbacks, particularly inrelation to the joint preparation of documents using word processors atdifferent locations. This task requires that each version of a documentbe printed and transmitted by facsimile to one or more other parties,then retyped into a different word processor for further editing. Such aprocedure is time consuming and awkward.

Other electronic communication techniques have evolved in parallel withfacsimile machines, these being directed to the provision of datatransfer between various locations.

A first example of this is modem to modem communications betweencomputers, whereby each computer must support like communicationsoftware to facilitate the exchange of information, and particularlycompatibility of the respective operating system, modems and thecommunication protocol. In addition, it is necessary to have technicallyskilled operators involved. Modem to modem transfers can provideinteractive communications between various computers including filetransfers of data or other information such as word processing files.

PC-Fax communication systems have recently been developed, whereby a PCcan have a card added as hardware to facilitate a similar function tothat of a facsimile machine. The PC can take any text file or videofile, as are commonly used in many current word processors, and codeconvert the data into a format suitable for transmission as a facsimile.The PC and the receiving facsimile machine will conduct all the callestablishment and pre-message procedures in order to set upcommunication, but the receiving facsimile machine will believe it iscommunication with another facsimile machine. The received informationis then processed as usual.

If the receiving machine is a PC-Fax, the incoming facsimiletransmission can be viewed on a screen or optionally printed using aprinter with graphics capability. However, substantial optical orpseudo-optical character recognition procedures are required in order toreproduce the original document in text form, this requiring powerfulprocessing and substantial memory capability. Therefore, PC-Fax toPC-Fax communication is not of practical interest, rather only thePC-Fax to facsimile machine communication has practical value, in that asender need not purchase a facsimile machine to send faxes.

Within certain of the PC-Fax cards, binary file transfers are possiblebetween cards of a similar manufacture and design. Such binary filetransfer procedures require the full facilities of a PC, and are notpossible with existing facsimile machines acting as a receiver.

Some facsimile machines have the capability of connection to PC's, butthe functions achieved by such connections are limited to localizedimage transfer and document printing operations.

In no prior art systems is it possible to combine conventional facsimiletechniques with conveniently operated non-facsimile or binary filetransfers.

OBJECT AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome one or more ofthe drawbacks in the prior art, and to provide apparatus for theconvenient transmission and reception of binary file data and, as anoption, also facsimile data at the option of a user.

Therefore, the invention provides an integrated communication systemcomprising a facsimile transceiver and a data transceiver, whereby, inuse, the system can optionally:

(a) transceive documents to or from said facsimile transceiver; or

(b) transceive binary file data to or from said data transceiver;

further comprising interface means which is user selectable to permit achoice of, at least, whether documents are transceived or whether binaryfile data is transceived.

The invention also provides a facsimile machine for the transmission ofdocuments, said facsimile machine being operable to provide facsimiletransmission or binary file data transmission and further comprising:

data storage means; and

interface means which is selectable to permit a choice of whetherdocuments are transmitted or whether binary file data is transmittedfrom said data storage means or both.

The invention further provides an integrated facsimile and binary filedata transceiver comprising:

optical means for scanning a document to be transmitted or recording adocument to be reproduced;

memory means for reading binary file data contained thereon or writingbinary file data thereto;

a controller in communication with the optical means and the memorymeans;

a transceiver means in communication with the memory controller for thetransception of facsimile information or binary file data; and

a user interface in communication with the controller for selectingfacsimile transception and/or binary file data transception or both.

The invention further provides a binary file transceiver adapted forconnection to a facsimile machine and comprising:

memory means for reading binary file data contained thereon or writingbinary file data thereto; and

a controller in communication with the memory means and adapted forconnection to a modem in facsimile machine;

wherein the binary file data transceiver is operable to transceivebinary file data by either control codes inserted in the Non StandardField of a facsimile transmission conducted under the CCITT T.30Recommendation or the modified DIS/DTC/DCS signals of the CCITT T.30proposals as described herein.

The invention further provides a binary file data transceiver adaptedfor connection to public switched telephone network and comprising:

a modem connectable to the said public switched telephone network;

memory means for reading binary file data contained thereon or writingbinary file data thereto; and

a controller in communication with the memory means and the modem;

wherein the binary file data transceiver is operable to transceivebinary file data by either control codes inserted in the Non StandardField of a facsimile transmission conducted under the CCITT T.30Recommendation or the modified DIS/DTC/DCS signals of the CCITT T.30proposals as described herein.

The invention further provides a binary file transceiver, adapted to beinterposed between a telephone line and a facsimile machine so as to betransparent to any transceived facsimile data, comprising:

memory means for reading binary file data contained thereon or writingbinary file data thereto;

modem means adapted for connection both to a public switched telephonenetwork and a facsimile machine;

processor means having control over the transception of binary filedata;

switch means for providing a connection between the public switchedtelephone network and the facsimile machine under control of theprocessor means in the event of the facsimile data transmissions, orconnecting the public switched telephone network only to the processormeans in the event of binary data file transfer;

interface means to provide for selectable transception of binary filedata.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, examples ofembodiments will be described in some detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an integrated communication system constructed inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the four phases in a facsimile transmission for Group 3facsimile machines;

FIG. 3 shows the code exchange sequence between transmitting andreceiving facsimile machines in accordance with the proposed amendmentsto the CCITT T.30 Recommendation;

FIG. 4 shows the code exchange sequence between transmitting andreceiving facsimile machines in accordance with the existing CCITT T.30Recommendation;

FIG. 5 shows another integrated communication system constructed inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 shows detail of a circuit which can be connected to the system ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows circuit detail of the elements within the systems of FIGS.1 and 5 at a system architectural level; and

FIG. 8 shows a stand-alone system constructed in accordance with theinvention.

FIGS. 2 and 4 have been extracted from Recommendation T.30 of the CCITT,Vol. VII.

FIG. 3 is extracted from a proposal of the CCITT Study GroupVIII--Contribution 43 of August, 1989 (COM VIII-43-E).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates functional components of an integrated communicationsdevice. As such, the device 10 is suitable for connection to any otherfax machine, whether or not of the same type, by a telephone line 12 ona public switched telephone network.

It is convenient to firstly describe the conventional facsimilecomponents of the device 10, which in this example is a Group 3 type.

A document to be transmitted to another facsimile machine is initiallyread by the optical scanner 14. The scanner 14 is under control of thesampling device 16 which generates 1728 pels per line scanned (viz; wereeach pixel can only have a logic value of ∫1" or "0" corresponding toeither black or white respectively) for each page of the document beingread. Typically, the page is scanned and sampled with a resolution ofoptionally 100 or 200 lines per inch (approximately) in the feeddirection, and 200 lines per inch (approximately) in the scan direction.

The sampled information, now in the form of rows, is provided to thetransmission memory 20. The data stored in the transmission memory 20 isready for transmission. The device 10 sets up the facsimile call with areceiving machine in accordance with Phases A and B as set down in theCCITT Recommendation T.30 (shown in FIG. 2). This operation is under thecontrol of operations microprocessor 26, and will be described in moredetail presently. Once this occurred and the connection is made, data isfed to compression device 22.

The compression device 22 has the function of converting the data intomodified Huffman code for a one-dimensional code, or modified READ(relative element address designate) code for two-dimensional codes,which are compression techniques designed to reduce the time taken totransmit any one page of the document. The two-dimensional codetechnique may also provide for skipping white sections of the scanneddocument, given that approximately 85% of any page is white.

Some facsimile machines provide for gray scale encoding of a scanneddocument, in which case, the number of bits (say 2) may represent onepixel of the document. Each pixel can then be represented as one of apossible number of intensities.

The output from the compression device 22 is provided to modem 24, beingalready connected to the telephone line 12, which performs thetransmission along the public switched telephone network to thereceiving facsimile machine in accordance with CCITT V.27ter or V.29standards.

The interaction of an operator of the device 10 is provided by userinterface 25 which communicates with operations microprocessor 26. Theuser interface 25 typically includes a telephone handset, diallingpushbuttons, and operational facilities for any other functionssupported by the facsimile machine, such as half tone, redial, pollingand such. The operations microprocessor 26 receives any instructionsissued by a user through the user interface 25 and also may provide anindication to the user interface 25 of the status of the transmission,typically including the page number being transmitted, the number of thereceiving facsimile, its type and such. The operations microprocessor 26also provides the various control functions to the modem 24, thetransmission memory 20 and receiving memory 30 and floppy diskcontroller 40 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

When receiving a facsimile, the receiving functions of the device 10 areimplemented. The received data arrives on telephone line 12 at modem 24,where it is passed to the decompression device 28, which will insert allthe blank spaces and remove any timing or framing information which wasrequired to institute the communication between the modem of thetransmitting facsimile machine and the modem 24. The decompressed datais then passed to receiving memory 30, where it is stored until able tobe processed.

The received information is routed to recording memory 34 under controlof the operations microprocessor 26, which then provides the informationline by line to recording device 36 which reproduces the originaldocument on the recording medium.

In any transaction to or from device 10, a telephone call set up must beperformed. This set up commences in accordance with CCITT RecommendationT.30 for Group 3 facsimile machines. FIG. 2 shows the five Phases A-E ina facsimile transmission. Phase A is the call establishment phase inwhich the telephone call is placed. Phase B follows, where the calledstation (acting in identifying mode) responds with signals indicatingits capability in terms of group type, speed, resolution, specialcapability such as half tone, and such. There is a training sequencerelating to synchronization, equalisation and other functions.

When the two machines have been trained and are in effective connection,the transmission of the encoded and compressed facsimile informationtakes place as Phase C. Once the complete document has been transmitted,Phase D is entered. If the information has been received without errorcontrol may return to Phase B, otherwise Phase E is entered, whichplaces both the transmitting and receiving machines on-hook.

The function of the facsimile components and tranception as describedare well known and understood.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, it is consideredadvantageous to be able to transfer information stored on a floppy diskdirectly to another floppy disk utilizing the existing facility of afacsimile machine. The transmission of the data may take place under theexisting T.30 Recommendation utilising the non-standard file (NSF)function in phase C, or by modification of the digital command signal(DCS), digital identification signal (DIS) and digital transmit command(DTC) as proposed for binary file transfer by Study Group VIII of theCCITT. However, unlike the operations utilized by PC-Fax cards, no filenames will be specified. All files residing on a source disk will betransmitted and copied to a target disk.

In regard of both proposals for the transception of binary files, thefunctions specified in the T.30 Recommendation and the recent proposalby Study Group VIII as referred to earlier are incorporated herein byreference.

In an example of a typical operation sequence using the machine 10 fortransmission and a like machine for reception, the operator wouldprepare a document indicating that a disk transmission was to follow.The transmission then takes place as is usual with the document beingtransmitted, and following completion of that documentary transmission,the operator must activate a disk transfer pushbutton on the userinterface 25, having already installed the floppy disk containing thefiles to be transferred in the floppy disk drive 38. The files in theform of binary file data are then passed to the data transception memory42 via the floppy disk controller 40. From the transception memory 42,the binary file data is passed to the modem 12, and thence to thereceiving machine. The converse order applies equally for reception.

This operation again takes place under the control of the operationsmicroprocessor 26. The precise interaction between the facsimileprocedure and the data transfer procedure will be described presently.

The proposed binary file transfer (BFT) procedure encodes a fileincluding its attribute, in the form of a binary page, which islogically equivalent to a facsimile page. This is transmitted,preferably using Error Correction Mode (ECM).

Assuming that the receiving machine is of the same type as thetransmitting device 10, it will receive the information into modem 24,whereupon the data is passed by the reverse procedure to a floppy diskwithin the floppy disk drive 38.

If there has not been a floppy disk provided in floppy disk drive 38 ofthe receiving machine after a transmission of binary file data has beeninstigated, the floppy disk controller 40 will signal the user byoperations microprocessor 26, and in turn the user facility 25 that suchis required. Typically, this will include an audible and/or visualwarning, and avail an operator some limited time in which to insert adisk, else the reception will be terminated.

Similarly, if the receiving machine does not have the facility forreception of data, as would be the case for normal facsimile machines,the sending machine will have some time-out period before thetransmission is terminated.

The binary file transfer as discussed results in all files beingtransferred automatically. This, therefore, allows ease of transfer ofdata without the requirements of operators or technicians or compatiblecommunication software and expensive hardware such as a PC.

If the receiving machine is not compatible, this will be detected by thedigital handshaking procedure in Phase B and will be indicated to theoperator, in which case no data transmission will take place.

Once the binary file data transfer is completed, the operator has afurther opportunity to transmit another facsimile or data filescontained on another floppy disk.

The process of providing binary file data transfer in addition to or inplace of conventional facsimile transmission will now be described indetail, and particularly firstly with reference to FIG. 3.

In order to initiate a binary file transfer, Phase B is entered orre-entered using the proposed modified DIS/DTC/DCS signals. The binaryfile may be coded as a binary page, which can then be transferred byECM, as the equivalent of a facsimile page, using the same pre-messageand post-message procedures.

Specifically, binary file date transfer capability will be indicated bythe appropriate control signal or code in the DIS/DTC frame. Theappropriate code when set in the DCS frame indicates that thetransmitter has a binary file to transmit.

If the receiving machine is not compatible this will be detected by thedigital handshaking procedure and will be indicated to the operator. Nodata transmission will take place.

If the binary file data is received correctly a message confirmation(MCF) is sent according to the usual protocol procedure. Otherwise thefile diagnostic message (FDM) signal, as proposed by Study Group VIII ofthe CCITT, will be sent. Specific error types relating to the status ofthe receiving disk may be defined.

Following this procedure, control may then transfer to Phase B andcontinue with the next binary file data transfer or facsimile. In thepresent case, the process will continue until all the files in thesource disk have been transmitted.

Because of the binary coded nature of the file and its attributes, thebinary file date transfer procedure is not restricted to any particulardisk format. Although IBM compatible disk formats would normally beprovided, according to an alternative aspect, any disk drive andcontroller, compatible with the user's requirements, may be provided.

Once all the data has been transferred from the transmitting machine tothe receiving machine, the transception memory 42 will empty. In oneinstance, assuming no further data or facsimiles are to be sent, Phase Dis effected. In the other instance, Phase E is entered immediately, thusnot providing an opportunity transmit further data or facsimiles.

The binary file data transfer under the modified DIS/DTC/DCS proposalcan equally take place from either Phase D or Phase B to commence PhaseC.

As an alternative to the procedure for binary file transfer as describedabove, the use of the NSF frame to indicate a non standard procedurecould also be adopted for the purpose of initiating the disk datatransfer. This is in accordance with the current T.30 Recommendation.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the codes exchanged between a transmittingmachine (calling unit) and a receiving machine (called unit) in anon-standard operation sequence.

The sequence shown represents the start of Phase B and the respectivesignals transferred between the calling unit and the called unit.

Non-standard facilities are available as shown, and if this is to beimplemented, a jump to the NSS (non-standard setup) code is made,whereafter, the operations microprocessor 26 assumes control to commencethe binary file data transfer.

The NSF/NSS procedure as described has identical effect as the modifiedDIS/DTC/DCS are described earlier.

The embodiment described has the advantages of providing an integrateddata and document facsimile transmission system, which provides ease ofuse for an operator. Further, the operator need not have particulartechnical ability nor expertise, merely being required to place a floppydisk in a floppy disk drive 38, and activating the correct pushbuttonsequence to affect optionally a facsimile document transmission or abinary data file transmission, or indeed a combination of both.

A further embodiment is related to a modified PC-Fax card, whichutilizes the signalling relevant to the proposed disk transfer protocol.In this case the PC will seek to operate in conjunction with an existingstand-alone fax machine. The PC will only intervene when binary filetransfer signalling is detected, at which point it will prompt the userto insert a disk for either transmission or reception of the binary filedata. This function could possible be obtained by a modification ofoperational software.

Two further embodiments are:

(1) a standalone device, capable of sending and receiving files on disk,which operates as described above, using fax protocol for binary filedata transfer, but which contains only a disk drive, modem andcontroller with no scanner or printer, and does not operate inassociation with an existing fax machine. This machine would be usedsolely for the purpose of disk transfers in a manner compatible with faxmachines, with disk transfer capability, and PC-Fax cards which utilizethe propose standard binary file data transfer procedure.

(2) a standalone device with the sole purpose of automatic disk transferfunctions, as just described but with the additional capability ofutilizing alternative file transfer protocols, in a manner compatiblewith existing PC-modem file transfer operations and with similarmachines.

As a basis for all these two embodiments, reference is made to FIGS. 5,6 and 7.

FIG. 5 shows an alternate configuration to the device 10 of FIG. 1. Likeelements have been referred to by the same reference numerals. However,the elements associated with the floppy disk control and binary filetransception are remote, and provided on lines 44 (TXD) and 46 (RXD).These lines 44,46 are connected by the switches 48,50 which are underthe control of the operations microprocessor 26.

FIG. 6 shows the connection for the RXD and TXD lines to a subsystem 60which could be as a remote unit attached to a facsimile machine, inwhich case a control line 52 between the operations microprocessor andthe subsystem processor 62 would be required, or if provided with a faxmodem as per modem 24, could be truely stand-alone, connecting to thepublic switched telephone network and transceiving only binary filedata.

In FIG. 6, the lines RXD and TXD are provided to the subsystem processor62. The subsystem processor 62 has control over the reading or writingof binary file data from or to a floppy disk contained within the floppydisk drive 38, and also over the operator related functions of the userinterface formed by the status display 46 and user keypad 66.

The program memory 68 provides software which is required duringprocessing of received binary file data. It is important to note thatwhen the subsystem 60 is connected to the device of FIG. 5, theoperations microprocessor 26 as shown in FIG. 5 still retains overallcontrol of the transception of either facsimile data or binary filedata.

The function of the data transception memory 42, the disk drivecontroller 40 and floppy disk drive 38 is equivalent to that discussedin relation to FIG. 1. The appropriate control lines and data lines arealso shown connecting all elements within the subsystem 60.

In the stand-alone option, of course, only the elements shown in thesubsystem 60 would be provided, and allows transmission or reception ofbinary file data only. As noted, a facsimile modem would have to beincorporated with lines TXD and RXD, and furthermore, the subsystemprocessor 62 would need to be able to perform the normal facsimilephases as detailed in FIG. 2, although could not provide for receptionof conventional facsimile data. If a normal facsimile machine where toattempt to transmit facsimile data to such stand-alone device, thesequence of events described in relation to such a regular transfercould not take place, and the subsystem processor 62 would pass signalsto the facsimile machine to indicate that data transmission is required,and possibly place the facsimile machine on-hook.

FIG. 7 gives further detail of the elements shown in FIG. 6 at a systemarchitectural level. Where appropriate, like numerals have been used.

Three buses are shown, being for data 86, addressing 84 and control 82.

Connection to the public switched telephone network is via the telephoneline 12, which terminates at the line interface 80. The line interface80 has connection to the control bus 82, and to the facsimile modem 24.

The figure does not show the associated facsimile elements 14, 16, 20,22, 28, 30, 34 and 36 as in FIGS. 1 and 5, however, the user keypad 66and display 68 are shown as is the subsystem processor 62 and programmemory 68. The disk drive controller 40 and floppy disk drive 38 arealso shown, together with data transception memory 42.

The subsystem processor 62 is shown, as is buffering by address latch90. The only other additional element is a read-only memory 88, in whichcan reside other software relating specifically to the binary file datatransfer.

The functioning of the various system buses in relation to binary filetransfer in association with the elements shown would be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art.

A further embodiment relates to a stand-alone device 100 as shown inFIG. 8, which is interposed between the telephone line 10 and aconventional facsimile machine 95. In the course of simple facsimiletransception, the device is effectively transparent.

When a facsimile call is received, the call is detected by both thestand alone device 100 and the facsimile machine 95. The circuit to thefacsimile machine 95 are broken at this time by switch 102, with thedevice 100 routing the signals via switches 104, 106 thereby maintainingthe facsimile machine 95 in the call establishment. The device 100 thendecodes the hand shaking signals from the transmitting facsimile orother binary file transfer device to determine whether normal facsimiledata is to follow or binary file data transfer is intended.

If normal facsimile data is to follow the switch 102 is activated tore-establish direct communication with the facsimile machine 95. Thisthen allows the high speed transfer of Phase C to take place. If, on theother hand, binary file data transfer is intended, the subsystemprocessor 62 disconnects the facsimile machine by switches 102 and 106,then proceeds to receive the binary file data and write it to a floppydisk contained within the floppy disk drive 38.

The device 100 can also provided for transmission of binary file data aswell as reception as just described.

Referring to the elements of FIG. 8 in more detail. The telephone line12 is terminated at connector 108, with a similar connector 108 providedfor the connection to the facsimile machine 95.

The line interface units 110 perform an isolating function from thephysical layer implementation of the public switched telephone network.Associated with one line interface unit 110 is ring detection section112 and line loop detect section 114.

The other components have been described previously in relation to otherembodiments, suffice to say two modems 24 are required to demodulate thedata for processing by the subsystem processor 62, and subsequentmodulation for passing to the facsimile machine 75.

This embodiment has the advantage of being transparent to normalfacsimile transmissions, being cheap to manufacture as easy to install,whilst availing an operator a convenient means to effect binary filedata transfers.

I claim:
 1. An integrated communications system using facsimilecommunication protocols comprising:a facsimile transceiver and a binaryfile data transceiver connected to a communications channel so that bothsaid transceivers are either at a source origination or at a targetdestination, processor means interconnecting said binary file datatransceiver with said facsimile transceiver, said processing meanscontrollable during one continuous session,a.) as a target destination,to look for control signals in a frame of an incoming transmission onthe communications channel to determine if the transmission is afacsimile or binary data file and to switch said facsimile transceiverto receive the transmission if it is signalled as a facsimiletransmission and, to switch said binary data file transceiver to receivethe transmission if it is signalled as binary file data and, to continueto look for control signals in a frame of the transmission signalling achange from facsimile transmission or binary file data transmission andto switch the facsimile transceiver or binary file data transceiver asappropriate to then receive the transmission, and b.) as a sourceorigination, to insert control signals in a frame of an outgoingtransmission to signal whether the transmission is facsimile or binaryfile data, whereby both facsimile and binary file data can betransceived using facsimile communication protocols.
 2. A system asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said binary file data is sourced from ortargeted to mass data storage means contained with the binary file datatransceiver.
 3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlsignals are inserted in the Non Standard Frame of a facsimiletransmission conducted under the CCITT T.30 Recommendation or theDIS/DTC/DCS signals of the CCITT T.30 proposals.
 4. A facsimile machinefor the transmission of documents on a communications channel, saidfacsimile machine being operable to provide facsimile transmission orbinary file data transmission in the one continuous session and furthercomprising:data storage means for storing a binary file data, andprocessing means which is controllable to insert control signals in aframe of an outgoing transmission to signal if the transmission isfacsimile or binary file data and to transmit either the facsimile orbinary file date from said data storage means, whereby both facsimileand binary file data can be transmitted using facsimile communicationprotocols, and wherein said control signals are inserted in the NonStandard Frame of a facsimile transmission conducted under the CCITTT.30 Recommendation or the DIS/DTC/DCS or modified DIS/DTC/DCS signalsof the CCITT T.30 Proposals.
 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, whereinsaid data storage means comprises a disk controller for reading binaryfile data stored on a disk.
 6. A machine as claimed in claim 5, whereinthe facsimile machine is also able to operate for reception such thatreceived binary file data can be written to a disk, and said processingmeans is operable to look for control signals in a frame of an incomingtransmission on the communications channel to determine if thetransmission is a facsimile or binary file data and to switch thefacsimile transceiver to receive the transmission if it is signalled asa facsimile transmission, and is further operable to switch the datastorage means to receive the transmission if it is signalled as a binaryfile data, and to continue to look for control signals in a frame of thetransmission signalling a change from facsimile transmission or binaryfile data transmission and to switch the facsimile transceiver or datastorage means as appropriate to receive the remainder of thetransmission.
 7. A binary file data transceiver, adapted to beinterposed at one end of a line of a public switched telephone networkso as to be responsive to a transceived binary file data transmittedusing facsimile protocols, comprising:memory means for reading thebinary file data contained therein or writing a binary file datathereto; and processing means which is controllable,a.) as a targetdestination, to look for control signals in a frame of an incomingtransmission on the telephone network to determine if the transmissionis a facsimile or binary file data and to switch the binary file datatransceiver to receive the transmission if it is signalled as a binaryfile data, and b.) as a source origination to insert control signals ina frame of an outgoing transmission to signal the transmission is binaryfile data, whereby binary file data can be transceived using facsimilecommunication protocols.
 8. A transceiver as claimed in claim 7, whereinsaid control signals are inserted in the Non Standard Frame of afacsimile transmission conducted under the CCITT T.30 Recommendation orthe modified DIS/DTC/DSC signals of the T.30 proposals.